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Jacob Turner Shines in Call Up, Snaps 9 Game Losing Streak

May 31, 2013 in Regular Season

Mets Marlins Baseball.JPEG-0e118The Marlins have had a very frustrating season, to say the least, but perhaps things are turning around. In order to fill the rotation spot previously held by Alex Sanabia, who is on the DL, the Marlins recalled Jacob Turner from AAA New Orleans.

Turner had been slated to be the #2 starter in the rotation at the start of the season but failed to show strong command in Spring Training, and was sent down to the minors to get things worked out.

Over the course of 7 innings against the hot Mets, it appears Turner got things worked out. His velocity was up between 92-94, a couple MPH higher than his velocity last season. He also compiled 3Ks while spreading out 5 hits and giving up only 1 walk. More importantly, Turner gave up no runs in his 2013 MLB debut.

The command was there, too as Turner pounded the strike zone with 51 strikes in 81 pitches. He was efficient and kept the Mets hitters off-balance.

If Turner can continue to string together solid starts, he could be a boon for the Marlins who started the season off with excellent starting pitching but with recent injuries, it seems even that aspect of the game is starting to sputter. Turner could anchor the rotation and if he can even begin to deliver on his potential, the Marlins are shaping up to have a strong second half of the season on the mound. Nathan Eovaldi is working his way back from rehab and could be on the mound in a matter of weeks.

The pitching performance also provided a much needed spark for the Fish who were able to snap their 9 game losing drought and pick up a much needed win within their division. Jose Fernandez will take the mound tomorrow night and look to provide another chance for the Marlins to grab a win and shoot for two in a row.

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A Glimpse Into the Future: What Are the Plans for the Marlins Outfield?

May 19, 2013 in Contracts, Fish Farm, Injuries, Regular Season

Marcell-Ozuna-Getty-ImagesWe may have a slight problem.

Giancarlo Stanton is poised to be coming off the DL soon. He is running on an anti-gravity treadmill – no, it is nothing out of Star Trek, just a vest that he wears while running on a treadmill to take his weight off of his body while he runs. He has been showing signs of progress and should be back sooner rather than later from a Grade 2 hamstring pull. Estimates are a few more weeks; he has missed 18 straight games since going on the DL on April 29th and reportedly has had an injection of plasma to help his recovery.

The other side of this is, what happens when he does return? Many were weighing in today on Twitter as we all watched Marcell Ozuna hit a blast to left center to score 2 runs to eventually prove the difference in this afternoon’s win. It looks as if Ozuna is going to stick for the remainder of the season. He is hitting .299 with 1 HR and 8 RBI in 62 ABs. He has a rocket arm in RF and can play excellent defense to boot. Stanton is the team’s starting RF, so in all likelihood, Ozuna would shift to LF.

That brings us to the LF situation. Having Juan Pierre is a defensive liability, and his offense is predicated on getting on base and wreaking havoc with his speed. Although he has been able to steal 13 bases thus far, and provided solid leadership and hustle every game, the Marlins offense is going nowhere without any means to provide pop in the lineup. In all likelihood, we may see Juan Pierre’s playing time downgraded to a backup situation, or platoon in LF with Ozuna from time to time.

Christian Yelich is lurking in AA Jacksonville, waiting for his call up. His position? LF. He has arguably the most promising bat in the entire Marlins farm system so he could dislodge Ozuna from LF, too. Yelich has played CF and can field that position as well. So, another scenario would mean that Yelich is called up to man CF.

Which then brings us to yet another domino – what do the Marlins do about Jake Marisnick and his future and Justin Ruggiano and his present? Ruggiano has provided some pop and looks to be a solid trade bait option down the road. This may be the most likely scenario for him as the Marlins move forward, given the progress of Ozuna and Yelich. In Marisnick, the Marlins can afford to wait longer and let his bat mature more. He has the tools to be a very good CF in the bigs and right now, could be a gold glove caliber defender in CF. He may actually be the Marlins best defensive outfielder in their farm system.

Another wild idea here could be to move Stanton to 1B. It wouldn’t happen this season, but if he could learn to field the position a bit, he could be moved to 1B and allow for Ozuna to resume his natural position in RF, Yelich slides back to LF, and Marisnick gets his spot in CF. If that is the scenario the Marlins shoot for, that leaves them with loads of talent they could flip for more prospects – Ruggiano, Pierre, Coghlan. All three of those OFers could be solid veteran bats for playoff contending teams looking to add depth down the stretch. Given their flexible contracts, they would provide extra value for the Fish, too. And if the Marlins plan on moving Stanton to 1B, Logan Morrison becomes expendable and could be a highly sought after bat down the stretch as well.

Ricky Nolasco continues to build his value – his 8 inning, 11 K performance this afternoon puts him back on the market and ahead of other options that my be on teams’ radars. Combining him with a Ruggiano, Pierre, Coghlan, or even Morrison gives the Marlins even more flexibility in making deals to shore up their talent pool even further.

We have also started to ask questions about the 2B situation – is Derek Dietrich the future there or will he be moved over to 3B? In moving Dietrich to 3B, they retain Donovan Solano and his value as a 2B with a solid glove and ability to hit out of the 2 hole while also gaining Dietrich’s bat and glove at a position with a huge void for the Fish into the foreseeable future. Placido Polanco is not a long term solution to be sure, so the Marlins must either trade for a 3B or move a prospect into that spot to fill a need.

All of these scenarios only point to one factor – the Marlins are in a position to improve internally with the talent they have been building with while also being in a position to acquire more talent to further strengthen what looks to be a rising future.

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Marlins Losing Continues, But Team Not As Bad As Their Record Indicates

May 17, 2013 in Offense, Regular Season

Yes, the Marlins are 11-30. Despicable. Deplorable. But is this team really that bad?

The Fish have had tons of injuries. Nathan Eovaldi, Henderson Alvarez, Giancarlo Stanton, Logan Morrison, Jeff Mathis, Donovan Solano, Joe Mahoney, Casey Kotchman – the list goes on and on. It hasn’t helped this team gain any consistency at all at any point in the season thus far. Not an excuse, but it certainly doesn’t help matters that two of your starters and three of your everyday position players are out.

That said, the Marlins have been able to fill holes – if you can see it that way. Marcell Ozuna has been called up to replace Giancarlo Stanton in RF; Derek Dietrich was brought up to spell some time at 2B for Donovan Solano. Kevin Slowey, Alex Sanabia, Tom Koehler, and Wade LeBlanc have all been valuable in eating innings as starters.

But is the team really as bad as a team that is 11-30? Not really when you look at the stats.

The Marlins are averaging 2.76 runs per game – last in the league. They are last in the league in hits per game (7.41), just below the Nationals (7.51). They are 20th in MLB in surrendering 4.37 runs per game to their opponents. The Marlins have amassed a run differential over the season of -66 runs thus far on the season. That is just -1.6 runs per game differential over the course of the season.

Marlins basically have to find a way to score another 1.6 runs per game to break even on their run differential, which would also push them towards becoming a realistic .500 team the rest of the way out. When you look at the guys they are getting back within the month, they may just get to that point.

Stanton and Morrison, provided the latter can start hitting anything like he did a few seasons ago, may have enough to mix this lineup into something more substantial. When you consider the young guys currently here and hitting (Dietrich, Ozuna) you may have a lot more depth and pop, too. Consider:

  1. Juan Pierre
  2. Donovan Solano
  3. Giancarlo Stanton
  4. Logan Morrison
  5. Justin Ruggiano
  6. Placido Polanco
  7. Adeiny Hechavarria
  8. Rob Brantly

You could flip Hechavarria to the 2 spot, or even plop Dietrich in there at 3B (for Polanco) or at 2B. Ozuna could play RF out right, or possibly move to LF (or have Stanton move to LF) to add more pop. All of this before even considering the arrival of Christian Yelich or Jake Marisnick.

Can the Marlins score more runs later in the year and become a more formidable offense later in the year? Very likely. Getting Mahoney and Kotchman back forces Greg Dobbs back into his role as a pinch hitter. The Marlins get deeper.

The Marlins are bad right now – not necessarily a bad team, just a bad team to watch. They can’t score runs and it seems infectious. All it takes is the right addition of hitters in the lineup and all of that could change.

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Donovan Solano Is Proving He’s Number Two

May 2, 2013 in Players, Regular Season

donovan solanoLast year, Donovan Solano had a pretty good rookie season that seemed to fly under the radar of most. This season, it looked as if maybe it was a fluke.

Solano was making uncharacteristic fielding errors while also hitting with an average hovering around .180. Although he looked more confident on the field, as he and Adeiny Hechavarria look like an excellent defensive combo and with his spot basically going unchallenged, he wasn’t quite performing up to expectation.

Although he struggled this year, he has been able to get back on  a tear. Currently he is batting .275 on the year, but his success seems to be tied to hitting out of the number two spot. For the year, he is batting .295 in 44 ABs with a .311 OBP and .341 SLG. By contrast, in the #8 spot, he is hitting .172 in 29 ABs.

Last year, Solano seemed to find his groove in the #2 spot, too. He hit .295 and got 105 ABs there. It is starting to look like not only is Solano comfortable hitting out of the two slot, but even Redmond is getting comfortable with him which is critical as this team starts to forge its identity and get a solid lineup going.

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Are Fans Turning Against LoMo?

May 1, 2013 in Injuries, Regular Season, Roster

th-2Maybe its because of his tweets and the freeness with which he shares his opinions, but Logan Morrison is starting to rub even Marlin fans the wrong way. Yes, fans of a team that could desperately use some power in their lineup are starting to turn away from a guy who could provide more pop.

Maybe it is all the self promoting? Guess who has another charity project starting up? Why not; being on the DL for 60 days certainly must involve some thumb twiddling. And of course, we all know that Morrison lost his father to cancer – lung cancer. One side of this story that isn’t told publicly is apparently how Jeffrey Loria secured a private jet for their family during this critical time. It was also his father’s death that certainly shattered Morrison’s personal life and the tale has been shared publicly with Marlin fans and others across baseball. It is a cause that Morrison is very passionate about.

So, you’d think a guy who suffered an immense loss and is a likeable figure on the field would be a hit with Marlin fans yet, he’s slowly becoming the poster child of what was wrong with the Marlins in recent history. Full of promise, but short on results. All sizzle but no substance. LoMo got in trouble for several tweets in the past. There was the breastfeeding debacle that made him look like an insensitive ass. Then there was the suggestion that LoMo was being demoted in 2011 because of his tweets. Not the fact that he was hitting .249 and seemed to lose his way at the plate. His agent suggested it was something else; Larry Beinfest was esoteric in saying Morrison needed to focus on baseball.

Yet, “Trader” Jack McKeon’s words may have proved more prophetic than salty:

“You’ve got to leave your distractions at the door,” McKeon said. “Too many young guys come into the game today and think they’ve got it made. They’re the darlings of the media and they want to run their mouth instead of tending to business. The record books are full of one- and two-year phenoms.”

Recently, Morrison drew the ire of more fans for his comments on Jason Collins’ coming out party. The blog, StripClubWithStanton (appropriately named) attacked Morrison for a seemingly insensitive tweet about possibly receiving fashion advice from a potentially gay teammate.

The MarlinsDaily cataloged LoMo’s incessant annoyance via Twitter and also remarked that this was how Morrison is “branding” himself. Yet Morrison has always been “honest” or at the very least, transparent with his opinions. Here he is commenting openly about disagreeing with the firing of then hitting coach, John Mallee.

It would seem someone doesn’t get it. Morrison continues to spout off at the mouth via Twitter and gets himself into unnecessarily hot water. He seems to think it is his prerogative to share his opinions with everyone else and frankly, it is for this very reason Twitter is successful. People don’t necessarily want inspiring, uplifting tweets, they want garbage and things that tear others down. That is how our society works today and anyone who doesn’t realize that, well, they are just being blind. That said, it is surprising that Morrison continues to tweet AND underperform. Does he realize that no one cares about his tweets precisely because he has no real success in MLB?

Dave Samson noted that no one would care about his tweets if they were coming from New Orleans. Right now, it looks like Morrison will resort to anything in order to tread the water of relevancy. Let’s hope he has a speedy recovery so we can find out once and for all if he is a servicable big leaguer who is more than just bombastic tweets. If anything, we could find ourselves wanting Ozzie Guillen back if that was all Marlin fans wanted.

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Green To Be Sent To New Orleans; Hechavarria Returns

May 1, 2013 in Injuries, Regular Season, Roster

Batting .321 with 1 home run will not get you a longer stay, it seems. Nick Green, who was pied in the face after helping the Marlins get a win in 15 innings the other night, will reportedly be sent back to AAA New Orleans once SS Adeiny Hechavarria returns.

Green is just a victim of injury and roster needs. Sure, the Marlins could use another utility IF that can apparently hit a bit, but they already have Chris Valaika, who is a bit younger and, pun not intended, greener. But you got to reward the guys who you came in the door with and Mike Redmond is trying to build a team for the future – Nick Green, apparently, has missed that boat.

You feel bad for the guy and you’d like to see him stick, but the fact of the matter is the Marlins already have enough middle infielders with solid gloves and who can make contact. Hechavarria adds a slick glove and his bat was coming along before the injury. It will remain to be seen if he can continue to improve his approach at the plate.

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